the hero’s journey in paris (4)
TRANSCRIPT
The Hero’s Journey in Paris (4) By Peter de Kuster Your Hero’s Journey!
Life is not an accident. A coincidence. Through careful choices and persistent planning, you can control what happens to you. That sounds boring, doesn’t it? It’s not. We are talking about your future. Your hero’s journey! The best way to deal with the future is to invent it. Create your own life story. Your own legend. If you live your life wandering around aimlessly, you’re likely to end up in a sort of hell of Dante as visualized by Rodin. If you live you life bouncing around, reacting to events and circumstances, you’re giving up control over where you will go next. This is a hell of a way to live – it’s stressful and frustrating, and not creative at all.
I believe that each of us comes prepackaged with a reason for being, a hero’s journey. A mission. A purpose. Unfortunately, there is no operating manual or help line to make it easy to figure out what that purpose is. Once you figure out what your hero’s journey story is, however, life is sooo much easier and better. It means that you are living on purpose. This translates in doing the right work, in the right environment, with the right people and using your talents and abilities in a way that benefits others as well as yourself. This purpose covers every aspect of your life, including having people to love and who care about you (but that’s another travel guide).
You need a powerful story as a compass to navigate by. To aim for (your hero’s journey). A storyline, a travel map so you can plot out the best (and even most scenic route, if that turns you on) to get where you’re going (your goals). You can get blown off course and explore new cities, meet interesting people but you always have that hero’s journey story to guide you back. That’s what your hero’s journey does for you.
Make Money Doing What You Love ‘Follow your bliss” – Joseph Campbell When you aren’t sure about what you should be doing with your life, it can feel like you’re in free fall. For some the rush of hurtling to the ground is exhilirating. Some don’t even seem to realize that they don’t have anything (a parachute) to stop them from hitting the ground. In the beginning it can be exciting to go through life without a plan, a purpose, a story. Many romantic tales have been spun about the vagabond life. Just remember that these stories are written by people who disciplined themselves just enough to put pen to paper, and enough to sell their stories or art. Being in control of your story means knowing what you want and working toward it. It means waking up every morning saying: “I’ve got the best job in the world. I absolutely love what I do.”. If you can say that, everything else in your life will fall into place. Some people know early on what they want. They’re the lucky ones. Most of us struggle for a while before we find our niche. That’s okay. Enjoy the journey. Consider it a voyage of discovery with treasures on your way. Self – knowledge is a wonderful thing.
How to Find Yourself When You Didn’t Know You Were Lost Before you can figure out your niche in the creative scheme of things, you need to understand yourself, your strenghts and weaknesses, your true desires, your personal definition of success. The following questions are designed to make you THINK about yourself from various angles. Answer them quickly. Put down the first thing that pops into your mind (before your left brain has a chance to butt in). Don’t analyze either the questions or the answers. Be honest – nobody has to see this but you. Now: quick and dirty:
Personal
• What is your favorite time of year? • What is your favorite hobby? • What is your favorite getaway spot? When was the last time you went there?
• What social settings bring out the best in you? Worst in you?
• What is your best personality trait? Worst? How would your spouse/partner/best friend answer that?
• What one thing would you most like to change about your personality?
• Are you a country person or a city person? Do you like more a ladiback lifestyle of one that is frantic and fast – paced?
• Are you more comfortable competing against others or against yourself?
• Which is more you – safe and secure or reckless and risky? • Which would you rater be – healthy and wealthy or healthy and wise?
Professional
• Do you want more or less travel in your work? • Where would you like to go? Would you travel by land, air, sea? • Would you like to do more or less public speaking in your work? • How much money as an annual salary would make you feel successful?
• Do you prefer to work with your hands or your mind? Indoors or outdoors? With people or with things?
• Which is more challenging, dealing with difficult people or difficult problems?
• What bores you?
• What would you eliminate from your present job right now if you could?
• Do you like to be in charge? Or do you prefer to be the power behind the throne?
• What do you like best about your work? • If you could have anyone’s job in the world whose would it be? • What is the most undesirable job you can think of?
• When do you prefer to work – morning, noon, or night? When would you rather not work? What days would you like to have off? What would be an ideal work schedule for you?
• What would you like to bring to work that you can’t? Kid? Dog? Movie?
• Do you prefer to work alone or in a group? How much of your day would you like to spend dealing with people, and how much would you like to be left alone?
• How many projects can you handle at once? • Do you prefer stretches where you work like crazy and then take a break, or do you like to pace yourself and limit your projects?
• Which best describes the environment you would prefer to work in: at home, in a lab, in a book church, in a studio, outside, in an office, on the road, on a set, in a studio, in a tall building, in front of an office, or some other situation? Big city or small town, or small city/big town?
• Do you prefer to deal in concepts or projects? Which is more satisfying, the process or the product?
• List jobs you think you would enjoy doing. • List jobs you think you could not/and/or would not do
• What skills do you like to use the most? • What task or talent comes easily to you? • Name something that is always a struggle to do. • What type of people do you enjoy working with the most?
• Do you prefer to work at a fast pace or to pace yourself? • Do you like every day to be different, or do you prefer to slip into a consistent and comfortable routine?
• Which motivates you more, money or a mission?
Your Story You have a life story (if you pay attention to it). Take a look at the story of your life thus far.
• Write your life story from beginning to end (as if you are very old and have already achieved all the things you want or when you heard today you will die for 80% sure and regret what you haven’t experienced)
• What is something that makes you say to yourself (and others), ‘I’ll never do that again’
• List five heroic stories from your past. And five tragic stories. Which was easier to complete?
• Look at your past life and ask yourself these questions. What do I wish I had done but didn’t do? What have I always wanted to do but never go around to doing?
• What are your most powerful memories from childhood, teenage years and adulthood? Take a close look at the three memories. What do they have in common? What are the circumstances, the people involved, the tasks you were performing, the setting, the time of year?
• List your most rewarding life experiences (paid and unpaid). Are you still engaging in these activities? If not, why not?. How can you bring these things back into your life?
• It is important to appreciate all the things you have and all the things you are. The more you appreciate all the things you have going on for you, the more you love life. Make a list of all the things you are grateful for in your life. Start small: your health, a place to live, a car, money in the bank, people who love you.
• Tell a story about yourself in a perfect day. Put in as much detail as you can. Spend some time and thought on this one. Then pin it to
where you see it often. This is wheren you want to live your future life. This is the story about where you’re going.
• Tell a snapshot story of your life today. Do you like what you do for a living? Are you happy? Are you using your talents? Are you able to create? Do you enjoy waking up on weekly mornings? Is it good to be home?
• Do you have enough money? Do you have a goal for the future?
Enjoy your hero’s journey!!